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Nissan heading to Le Mans with 1,250-hp GT-R LM Nismo [w/videos]

Endurance racing faced a pivotal year in 2012. The FIA and the ACO had just come together to form the new World Endurance Championship when Peugeot announced it was shuttering its team, leaving only one manufacturer to contest the top LMP1 class of the nascent series. Fortunately Toyota was able to advance its program to join Audi in the WEC and at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Two seasons later Porsche joined the fight, and now Nissan has formally announced its return to Le Mans as well. Revealed in Nissan's With Dad spot during the Super Bowl, the Japanese automaker is set to join the grid with the innovative GT-R LM Nismo you see here. It's a hybrid just like the challengers from Audi, Porsche and Toyota, but instead of a mid-engine/rear-drive setup, Nissan's oddball challenger places its engine in the front, driving the front wheels. The 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 is mated to a five-speed sequential gearbox and produces upwards of 550 horsepower on its own, but is mated to an electric Energy Recovery System that kicks in over 700 additional horses for a combined hybrid output exceeding 1,250 hp. That could make Nissan's the most powerful LMP1 on the grid, while still complying with the fuel flow limits outlined in the rulebook that gives participating constructors the latitude to toy with different configurations. Both powertrain components are mounted under the long nose of the oddly styled prototype, behind the canopy of the rearward cockpit that may give it a similar profile to the DeltaWing prototype and subsequent ZEOD RC. But the unconventional GT-R LM Nismo is also innovative in its own way. The front-drive configuration means that the Nissan prototype actually has wider tires up front than in the back, and also allowed for a drastically different approach to aerodynamics. Instead of testing it out at a handful of events in its first season, with the GT-R LM, Nissan will contest the full 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship, starting with the 6 Hours of Silverstone in April and including the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June.

Watch BJ Baldwin jump a Nissan GT-R in his Monster trophy truck

There could hardly be two more disparate machines than a Nissan GT-R and BJ Baldwin's wicked trophy truck. While the supercar from Nissan needs no introduction, Baldwin's rig boasts 850 horsepower and an equally dizzying 34-inches of suspension travel. Monster Energy has taken it upon itself to throw those two together in a new short film that features Baldwin rescuing the female pilot of the GT-R by first jumping both her and her car in his desert bruiser. (Please keep the snickering to yourself until the conclusion of our program.)
The clip features plenty of shots of the truck bashing across the desert, slinging sand on scantily clad models and otherwise having a hell of a time. It's automotive porn of the highest caliber, though it stays safe for work. Click below to enjoy the show for yourself. Our only regret is that there's not enough engine noise to match the otherwise hot action.

Nissan Leaf electric vehicle goes on sale in Mexico

Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn may not be intimately familiar with the Dean Martin 1962 classic South of the Border, but he may as well start crooning the standard now. The Japanese automaker said this week that the Nissan Leaf will officially be the first mass-produced battery-electric vehicle to be sold in Mexico. So break out the horn section. Nissan will start selling the Leaf through its Mexico City dealership network and is touting features such as the car's fast-charging port. That feature allows the car to be 80-percent charged in about a half hour. Nissan and the Mexican government are also working on an "electric corridor" of charging stations between Mexico City and Cuernavaca, which is about 55 miles to the south. There will also be "charging zones" in various districts throughout Mexico City, making it easier for the newly inaugurated EV drivers to charge up in town. Nissan has been working on Leaf brand exposure to Mexico City for years, sending the first batch of 100 all-electric Leaf taxis to Mexico starting in the fall of 2011. Last month, Nissan had its best ever month of sales in the US, moving 3,117 Leafs in May and the company has sold over 115,000 Leafs around the world. Check out Nissan's press release below. Nissan becomes the first company to sell a 100% electric vehicle in Mexico Nissan LEAF arrives in Mexico and becomes the first 100 percent electric vehicle to be comprehensively marketed in the country. The car of the future is already part of the present with more than 115,000 global sales. Nissan, the leader company in electric vehicles, strengthens its commitment to promote Zero-Emission mobility by opening charge centers distributed in Mexico. MEXICO CITY – Nissan today announced the launch of LEAF, the first 100 percent electric vehicle to be marketed in Mexico. The presale starts today and will continue until its arrival on June 30. Nissan LEAF is the first zero-emissions vehicle marketed in Mexico, confirming the leadership and the promise of the Japanese company to transform traditional driving into a new silent experience. "Nissan LEAF is a reality in the Mexican market," said Airton Cousseau, CEO of Nissan Mexicana. "We are proud to be the pioneer company to introduce the first zero-emissions vehicle leader in sales worldwide in Mexico.